The View From the End of the Rope
by anthfan
Summary: Extended scene from 1x21. After Oliver rescues Felicity at the casino. Part two is up. Story is complete
1. Chapter 1

The View From the End of the Rope

It's only because Felicity _had_ been okay when he'd burst into the office that he managed to keep from killing Alonzo immediately. The thought had briefly crossed his mind that the exploding arrow in the man's throat would have been more than deserving if she had been hurt in any way.

His eyes had flickered over her terrified face, and her eyes shut tight against what she thought was coming and then he'd had to purposefully ignore her, or very bad things were going to happen.

When the arrow exploded he hadn't had time to see if she had been hurt, but he'd place it purposely, knowing she'd be furthest from the blast. Alonzo's lack of information was making him angry, and he didn't want to have to kill him in front of Felicity, but he'd do it if he had to.

When Alonzo finally did give him what he wanted, Oliver almost wish he hadn't. The knowledge that Walter had been killed was almost too much. Alonzo slumped to the floor unconscious and Oliver pushed his hood back automatically.

Felicity was still in the same spot and she looked devastated. Her chest was heaving and he didn't know if it was from having a gun held to her head or the news she'd just heard, or more likely, a combination of the two.

"Fel..." he started, but stopped abruptly when he realized the voice modulator was still on. She jumped in place at the harsh tone, but her eyes were still glazed over and she didn't blink.

"Felicity," he tried again, and this time she slowly raised her gaze until it met his. He was struck by the defeat he saw. "Go home." he said, trying to keep his tone under control for her, but knowing he failed as she took a stumbling step back and away from him.

He didn't want to have to repeat himself, and after what seemed like too long she finally moved. She used the desk for balance as she stepped over one of the guards, and he could see her hands shaking.

Instead of crossing to the door however, she went to the computer and pulled the device off that she had planted, and knelt down to pick up her clutch from where it had flown.

He still hadn't moved, and he knew they were running out of time; faint sirens could already be heard.

Felicity looked towards the door and then back at him as if she was weighing some huge decision, and then she walked slowly up to him. When she reached him she didn't say a word, she just slid her hand into his and gave it a squeeze.

His breath caught in a strangled gasp at the contact. He wasn't safe right then. Adrenaline from the fight still flowed strongly through him. And maybe she sensed he wasn't safe, because she hadn't spoken, and she hadn't gotten any closer than she'd needed to, but she'd gotten as close as she had.

She let go and went to leave but his hand flashed out involuntarily and caught her wrist. "Go straight through that exit." he said, indicating the door at the end of the hall. "Keep walking and do not look back. I'll be right behind you."

She nodded once and he watched as she did exactly as he said, without a sound.

Oliver scanned the room one more time and then followed in Felicity's wake. The sirens pulled up in front of the building just as he slipped into the shadows, still able to hear her heels beat out a steady tattoo.

He watched her pause as the alleyway opened up onto a road. To the left was the club, and to the right was where her car was parked.

His mind was still reeling, and still trying to process the fact that Walter was dead, so Felicity not going straight to her car confused him at first. A cold shiver went through him when he realized why she had paused.

She had only agreed to help him to find Walter. Now that Walter was gone she had no reason to work with him any longer.

His stomach twisted at the thought. He'd been alone before. He thought he preferred it, but with Diggle already gone, and the hard reality of her leaving as well, he thought that maybe he had changed.

He was only twenty feet behind her now, and then watched, unknowingly holding his breath, as her head dropped and she swiped a hand across her eyes.

He sagged against the building as she headed to her car, his stomach dropping in despair. A flare of anger welled inside him and he pushed it away, she didn't owe him anything. He shook his head violently as a flash of Alonzo holding a gun to her head came back to him. All he'd done is put her in danger, and make her question her own morals. She'd be better off pretending she'd never crossed his path.

Heart as heavy as it had been since he returned from the island he went to take the back entrance into the club's sub-basement, when the distinctive click-clack of her heels got closer.

She paused again, in the same spot, but this time she faced into the alley and he couldn't tell if she could see him or not.

Her voice was shaky, but strong, "I'm not stopping. I can't." she said, and then very deliberately she turned around and headed left.

**A/N: **

**Thanks for the warm welcome to the 'Arrow' fandom. I'm very new to it, and I'm still trying to figure out all the 'voices'. Hope I'm doing them justice. Thanks for reading. **


	2. Chapter 2

He thought she might need some time, so after he saw her safely enter the club and his phone alerted a couple minutes later that the code to the basement door had been entered he did a quick patrol.

His head was still whirling. Walter was dead, Felicity had almost been killed, and Diggle was no longer on the team. He had no idea how he was going to go home later and tell Thea and his mother about Walter. He felt like he was drowning. No lifeline, no net; like he did when he first got to the island. The man he had become wasn't familiar with that feeling.

The only person he ran into was a low level thug who took one look at his profile and the shadow of his bow and took off in the opposite direction, and Oliver was disappointed.

Still not sure how he was going to face Felicity he made the choice to return to Verdant.

She was standing by the medical cart when he came quietly down the stairs. Gooseflesh was evident on her upper arms and she had taken her heels off at some point. In one hand she held a bottle of antiseptic and in the other a gauze pad but she seemed frozen.

He knew she hadn't heard him and he didn't want to scare her after the night she'd had. He circled around wide so she'd see him out of her periphery first and said her name softly but she didn't respond. He tried again, this time closer, and she startled, the gauze pad becoming crumpled and the bottle went flying.

"Oliver!" she exclaimed, her hands clutched to her chest as her wide eyes looked at him but didn't see him.

"Hey, it's ok. I didn't want to scare you." he said gently

She sniffed loudly and lowered her shaking hands to the edge of the cart. "I just...I just came by to download the info we got off of...off of Alonzo's computer. I did that already. I mean, it's not done, it's still working, but it'll be done soon, and I just...I needed"

He took a step closer "You needed something to keep you busy." he finished for her and she just nodded tightly, her blonde curls bouncing haphazardly.

She unclenched her hand and smoothed out the gauze before looking around confused. Oliver grabbed the bottle off the floor and handed it to her. She took it from him carefully as if she was trying to make sure they didn't touch. He took a step back when he noticed this, not wanting to crowd her.

And then, all thought to respecting her personal space went away as he realized why she needed the antiseptic. His stepped forward and reached towards her at the same time, not bothering to listen to her gasp of surprise or even her futile attempt to get out of his grasp.

"Are you hurt?" he asked rougher than he liked, his hands brushing her hair out of the way, running down her arms and over her neck and then turning her slightly so he could see her back. There. Multiple lacerations along her right shoulder blade. They were shallow, and had stopped bleeding, but seeing the drying rivulets on her smooth skin did something to him he wasn't sure he understood.

He spun her back and cupped her face in his hands, "Where else, Felicity? I need to know."

She tried to shake her head but his hold on her was solid, "No...nowhere." she stammered out.

"Are you sure?"

She gave the tiniest of nods and he suddenly became very aware of her pulse thudding against his fingertips and how soft her hair was. She shut her eyes tight and took a deep breath before raising her hands and laying them loosely on his wrists. "I'm fine. It was just bits of the dart board as it exploded." she assured him.

Something rose up in him, a flicker of life he hadn't felt in a long time and he took a deep breath of his own before letting her go.

"Here, sit." he commanded, and pulled the closest chair over, guiding her into it. She sat stiffly on the edge and her hands began fisting in the material of her dress.

He busied himself with the med supplies and tried to calm his thoughts. _He_ had hurt her. His arrow had caused the explosion that damaged her. Just one more bit of guilt for him to carry around.

He poured the antiseptic on the pad she had already gotten out and hesitated before gathering the hair that had spilled behind her shoulder and moving it so he could see her injuries. The red of her dress matched the blood exactly and he had to pause his hands for a moment before he could touch her.

"This might sting." he said in warning and she just nodded once and kept her head down.

She hissed at the contact, but he knew from experience it was mostly from how cold the liquid was than any actual pain. He focused on the task he'd given himself and let his mind go blessedly blank while he worked. Only one cut needed a butterfly bandage, the rest would heal fine on their own.

She hadn't moved while he cleaned her up, and now she still sat in the same position as he put away the supplies. She gave a violent shudder and he realized she still had gooseflesh. Oliver grabbed the blanket they kept for emergencies and draped it over her shoulders.

Felicity finally lifted her head and gave him half a smile as she gathered the ends around her. He leaned back against the med cart and studied her. She still looked so damn broken and he almost told her she should just go and forget about all of this.

"Walter's dead." he said abruptly, surprising himself.

Tears welled in her eyes immediately and she turned to look at him in disbelief.

"You said you'd only stay until we found Walter, and now we know what happened to him. So why are you here?" he hadn't meant to get angry, but he was. He was mostly angry at himself for hurting her, and putting her in this position, but he was angry at her for not having the sense to walk away.

"I told you why." she said in the harshest tone he'd ever heard her use

"You were in shock, and you weren't thinking straight." he deflected, "We don't need to find Walter any more, so why are you doing this?"

"Because I'm invested now!" she yelled back, taking them both by surprise, but finally there is some life flashing in her eyes and he's glad to see it. "I'm not stupid. I knew what I was getting into. But yeah, I almost walked away tonight."

"Maybe you should have!" he roared, didn't she understand how much danger she was in.

She jumped to her feet, and the blanket pooled in the chair, forgotten. Without her heels she's forced to look up at him but it didn't seem to phase her. " I told you, I'm invested now, and not just because of Walter. I watched Diggle shock your heart back into rhythm!" her throat caught on this and she swiped angrily at her face as a tear snuck it's way out. "I washed your blood out of my favorite sweater. I've been tied up, and had a gun held to my head, and I don't care, because this matters!" they're toe to toe now

He held her gaze, glaring almost, but before he could form a reply he saw the first tremble of her jaw and then her eyes glazed over with tears. He didn't think, he just wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in close; she didn't resist.

One of her arms tentatively wound around his back and the other tried to find purchase on his leather top, but she gave up and just laid her hand on his chest while she sobbed.

He should have expected this. She had been too close to the edge, eventually she was going to go over.

His other hand hovered over her head before he just let it fall over the ornate clasp she used to keep her hair swept to one side.

When she's cried herself out she doesn't make any move to leave. "Is this how it always is, with the shaking and the not being able to think? You and Digg don't shake. You're always so tough and in control, and I feel like I'm about to fly apart." she said quietly into his chest.

"We've just had more experience than you do." he said

"I don't think I'd like any more experience right now, if that's ok with you."

He let out a low chuckle, "That's more than ok with me." he assured her, the hand on her head coming around to her jaw and she pulled back so she could see him.

Her face was flushed, and her cheeks were still damp but he thought she looked beautiful and he was struck by the thought that he'd like to kiss her.

Her hand covered his and gave a squeeze and then she stepped back and picked the blanket up again.

"Sorry for getting you all wet." she said, the blanket now more like armor

"It's one of your team benefits." he said in an attempt at levity

"Does Digg know?" she threw back automatically and then winced as she remembered that Digg wasn't part of the team anymore. "Sorry." she added, but he ignored it.

He looked down and saw his disguise, "I've got to change and...I've got to go home and tell Mom and Thea about Walter."

Felicity looked stricken, "Oh god, Oliver. I'm so...I shouldn't have kept you. You should go. I'll be fine. I'll just keep working on the download, you don't need to worry about me, and I've got a change..."

"Felicity. It's ok. The download can wait. You should go home."

She looked like she was going to protest, but acquiesced in the end.

She was still sitting in the same spot when he returned.

"I want to keep doing this because people like whoever killed Walter need to be stopped." she said suddenly, "You're a good man, Oliver. You do good, whether you see it or not. This may have started out as a mission for you to finish the list, but I think it's becoming something else. And I think...I think I'd like to help you figure out what that is." she finished, and then looked at him with a strength she hadn't possessed a few minutes before.

He stood in front of her and extended his hand palm up and she slid hers into it automatically. As he pulled her to her feet he didn't let go. "I think I'd like you to help me figure out what that is as well."

They headed for the stairs with her hand still in his, and he thought that maybe he had a chance after all of not drowning.

**A/N: This one is complete! Thank you for reading/reviewing/following. **


End file.
